Amid the exchange of blame between Rwanda and the DRC, M23 recently claimed control of the eastern Congolese city of Goma. Local Christian leaders have pledged to work toward peace and harmony among neighbors. Meanwhile, John Samuel, Open Doors’ legal expert for sub-Saharan Africa, described the violence as taking place “in a context of impunity, where almost no one is held accountable.” Samuel urged the international Christian community to “remain in prayer for Christians and vulnerable communities in eastern DRC.”

Seventy Christians were discovered beheaded inside a Protestant church in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu Province, according to reports, which say the victims had been kidnapped by suspected Allied Democratic Forces terrorists.

The terrorists arrived in Mayba, a village in the territory of Lubero, at around 4 a.m. last Thursday and ordered residents to quietly get out, said Open Doors, adding that at least 20 Christian men and women had to leave their homes, leading to their capture.

Later, concerned residents gathered to plan a rescue, but the armed group is said to have surrounded the village and managed to seize 50 more believers. The abducted residents were then taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga, where they were found beheaded, said the ministry.

Families in the area could not immediately bury their relatives because of persistent security threats.

The U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern called the attack “a brutal massacre,” and said the ADF held the hostages for days before executing them.

“This recent massacre, where 70 Christians lost their lives, is not an isolated incident but part of a grim tapestry of violence that has claimed over 6 million lives in the DRC over two decades of on-and-off war,” said ICC President Jeff King in a statement provided to The Christian Post. “The vast majority of the DRC’s residents are Christian, so this is a religious genocide carried out by radical Islamic terrorists (the ADF).”

He continued, “It’s time for more than prayers; we must demand an all-African military force to intervene in this failed state, to restore order and save countless more people from becoming victims of this endless cycle of bloodshed.”

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